The California State Board of Pharmacy (Board) is proposing an emergency action to add regulations related to the independent initiation and furnishing of HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and HIV postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to patients, as authorized by Senate Bill (SB) 159 (Wiener, Chapter 532, Statutes of 2019). The proposed regulation would establish the criteria that a training program for participating pharmacists must meet for approval by the Board and the recordkeeping requirements for a pharmacist who has completed the training program.
Also in California... Despite the fact that the Board of Pharmacy announced that they would extend the comment period to April 30, 2020, NACDS and the California Retailers Association submitted a joint comment letter to the Board of Pharmacy to express our concerns regarding the proposed regulations as unworkable and over-restrictive for staffing requirements for community pharmacies. Our letter stressed that it is crucial that pharmacies have the ability to address fluctuations in staffing but also designate the type of employee that will provide assistance rather than a particular individual.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.